Next year, Max Bispham has been announced to play Young Barnum (Oliver Tompsett) in the sold-out world premiere of The Greatest Showman at Bristol Hippodrome, and he is originating the role after being involved with two previous workshops of the production. The Greatest Showman is written by Tim Federle and directed by Casey Nicholaw, and Max will be performing A Million Dreams in the musical, and along with being in the cast with Oliver Tompsett, the further cast includes Samantha Barks (Charity Barnum) and Josh St. Clair (Alternate P.T. Barnum). In the recent world premiere run of 13 Going on 30 – The Musical at Manchester Opera House, Max originated the role of Young Matt (David Hunter), performing opposite Amelia Minto as Young Jenna (Lucie Jones) and Anna De Oliveira as Lulu (Grace Mouat), and the rehearsal video of the musical based on the 2004 film starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo went viral on TikTok. Further projects for Max have included playing Barry in this year’s world premiere of The Parent Agency at Chester Storyhouse – which is the adaptation of David Baddiel’s book, Christopher Hillard in the West End transfer of Mrs. Doubtfire – working with his on-stage father Gabriel Vick as Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire, Gavroche in the 2021 Les Misérables – The Staged Concert and the following year in the full musical version, marking his West End and professional debut at the Sondheim Theatre, and while he was part of Les Misérables, he was in the cast alongside Lucie Jones and Jon Robyns. On screen, Max is the singing voice of Fred in the animated series Tulipop Tales, and he has worked on shows such as Call the Midwife, Motherland and Breeders. We talked to Max about being announced to play Young Barnum in The Greatest Showman at Bristol Hippodrome next year, performing as Young Matt in the original cast of 13 Going on 30 – The Musical and his time in Mrs. Doubtfire and Les Misérables.

It has been announced that you will be playing Young Barnum (Oliver Tompsett) in the sold-out world premiere of The Greatest Showman next year at Bristol Hippodrome, what are you looking forward to for opening in March?

I have been very lucky to have been involved in two workshops for The Greatest Showman which prepares for when rehearsals start and opening the show. Knowing what’s coming, I couldn’t be any more excited. It is going to be really spectacular and originating the part of Young Barnum is a dream of mine. People have been waiting for this show to come to the stage for a long time and I can’t wait to bring it to life.

Was there anything that drew you to the production, which is written by Tim Federle and directed by Casey Nicholaw, and what do you think Young Barnum will be like to play?

The Greatest Showman is such a classic that so many people love and I can’t wait to share the story in a different way that isn’t on the screen. Casey is such an inspirational director and this was a huge reason why I wanted the part of Young Barnum. A Million Dreams is a song that every musical theatre child dreams of performing and I can’t wait to stand on that stage and sing it in the world premiere!

How was your time originating the role of Young Matt (David Hunter) in 13 Going on 30 – The Musical at Manchester Opera House and performing opposite Amelia Minto as Young Jenna, Anna De Oliveira as Lulu and with the rest of the cast?

I was so excited when I got the role of Young Matt, especially to be working alongside the unbelievably talented David Hunter. Also to be working with Lucie Jones again as we performed in Les Misérables: The Staged Concert together.

13 Going on 30 was a totally different experience from other jobs I have done. It was so exciting to have such a large team of young performers which made the whole experience really amazing. It was so nice to be in such a big group where everyone was so supportive of each other. It really felt like we became one big family and we just had the best time together.

What was it like seeing the rehearsal video of the show’s opening number Wanna Be go viral on TikTok and what was the song like to perform?

I never expected the rehearsal video of the opening number to go as viral as it did. It was crazy to see the numbers go up and up every day and then see all the different videos of people doing their own versions.

On one occasion walking to school, I heard a group of girls say “that’s the boy from TikTok”. It felt a little bit unreal that they would know who I was and recognise me but also very funny.

When I received the audition material and heard Wanna Be for the first time, I fell in love with the song and it made me really want the part of Young Matt.

Standing on the stage of the Manchester Opera House singing the song that had been seen and heard around the world felt so surreal. Even though people were seeing the show for the first time, you could see in the audience people mouthing the words after seeing the video. The song was also really fun to perform because it involved the whole young cast.

How was it bringing the story of 13 Going on 30 to the stage for the first time and how much did you know about the 2004 film starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo before auditioning?

I had seen the film once before being asked to audition and loved it. When my agent (Imogen at Byron’s Management) told me I had an audition, I watched it another couple of times to make sure I fully understood the part I was going for.

Bringing it to the stage felt like a huge responsibility as the film has such a cult following and I knew people were expecting big things.

Earlier this year, you were in the cast of the world premiere of The Parent Agency at Chester Storyhouse, how was it taking on the role of Barry?

Being the lead in this brand-new musical was an incredible feeling. I felt so proud of myself knowing that David Baddiel had put all his trust in me to open this show and be the central figure. Sitting with my family reading the reviews about myself after the gala night was so special.

What was it like being part of the stage adaptation of David Baddiel’s best-selling book of the same name and what did you enjoy about working on the production?

This show was another amazing experience. It was very different to the other musicals I have been in because this was the first time it was being brought to life. Previously it had only been in people’s imaginations from the book so there was a lot of pressure to stay true to the story and match the audience’s expectations. The songs were a lot of fun and the set and lighting were both really unique and cool. My on-stage mum and dad, Becky (McKinnis) and Rak (Boury), were great to perform with, especially as I had seen them in other roles they had played. It was also nice to be in such a family-friendly show.

Can you tell us about performing in the West End transfer of Mrs. Doubtfire at the Shaftesbury Theatre and what was it like getting into character as Christopher Hillard?

I was so excited when I got the role of Christopher Hillard. I had known about the short run in Manchester and was very familiar with the film so it was such an exciting opportunity. When I got the part and then the full cast was announced, I was thrilled that I would be performing with a couple of adults I had previously worked with on Les Misérables.

Christopher is a really fun character to play because he has some great lines to deliver which get laughs from the audience. My favourite bit is the end of Act 1 when I found out that Mrs. Doubtfire wasn’t who she said she was!

How was it meeting and working with your on-stage family, which included Gabriel Vick as Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire, and is there anything you miss most about this show?

Gabriel Vick is honestly the funniest person I have ever met. Having him as my stage dad meant it was sometimes a struggle to keep a straight face whilst we were performing. The rest of my on-stage family were amazing too.

Having now originated characters in three world premieres and one UK premiere, how do you find the experience being in an original cast and preparing to open in a new musical?

It gets more and more exciting each time I originate a new role and being in the original cast. There is no feeling like being the first person to play a role to a live audience. It is always an exciting time rehearsing for a new musical and seeing it all come together for the first time. Opening a new show can be scary as you want to know it is being well-received by the audience. It is always such a special feeling to originate these new roles and I hope my performances help to lay a foundation for future actors who get to play the roles.

You played Gavroche in Les Misérables: The Staged Concert in 2021 and the full version of Les Misérables the following year, both at the Sondheim Theatre, what are some of your favourite memories from making your professional and West End debut with Les Misérables?

Les Misérables was amongst the first shows to reopen after COVID and it was then I made my West End debut playing Gavroche in the Staged Concert. It felt amazing walking out onto the stage of the Sondheim Theatre to the biggest cheer that theatre was back and I hoped this would be just the beginning of my musical theatre journey.

Les Mis is one of the longest running musicals, and having the opportunity to play Gavroche in the Staged Concert and also the full show was very special to me. It was here that I met my best friend Zane, who was also playing Gavroche, and having those memories to share is wonderful.

What was it like voicing Fred in the animated series Tulipop Tales and how different do you find voice acting to performing on stage?

I had so much fun voicing the singing parts of Fred in Tulipop Tales. It was so interesting playing a character’s singing voice where all my acting had to come out through my voice rather than in front of a camera or on a stage.

This was a really different experience for me, especially as each time I was in the recording studio, the directors were online directing me from Denmark rather than being in the room. I learnt so much whilst doing this job and would love to do more of this kind of work.

Can you say about working as an extra on shows such as Call the Midwife, Motherland and Breeders?

Being an extra can mean a lot of hanging around but I was lucky enough on each of these programmes to have a small featured part too. There was one time my mum, dad and sister were asked to join me on Call the Midwife, we all filmed a Harvest Festival scene together, which was so much fun. These were my first paid jobs and gave me a really great opportunity to learn, watch and see what actors do to get themselves prepared for shooting scenes. It was these jobs that made me realise I definitely wanted to join this industry.

How did you get into performing and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

When I was four, my mum used to take me on a Monday afternoon to a theatre group called Little Stars. After one of the classes, the lady running the group pulled my mum to one side and said to her “Max has really got something”. My mum wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing so asked what I had, to which she answered “so much talent”. I had done some modelling as a baby but I then went on to join an agency and booked my first job a few weeks later!

Do you have any favourite theatre shows to watch and which would you like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?

I have so many favourite shows but top of my list are The Book of Mormon, MJ, Life of Pi and Wicked. I cannot wait to see Paddington the Musical. I haven’t stopped singing the songs. Tom Fletcher is my absolute hero and his music is phenomenal!

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

I love playing and making music. I am always singing so I like to do covers of songs and post them on my socials. I really enjoy playing the guitar and drums and recently taught myself how to play piano. My favourite band is McFly and I go to their concerts with my dad as often as I am able to. I am really into my fashion so I love going shopping as well, and playing football with my friends!

Max Bispham is represented by Byron’s Management www.byronsmanagement.co.uk

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